The Second Edition of the Food Chemicals Codex, published in August 1972, provides quality and purity specifications in monograph form for 639 substances used as direct food additives. The First Supplement to the Second Edition was published in April 1974 and the Second Supplement in October 1975. The two supplements together contain complete specifications for an additional 20 substances plus 24 new or revised general test methods and revisions of assay requirements, impurity limits, analytical methodology, etc., in the monographs for 123 substances. The Third Supplement is scheduled for publication in late 1976, and the completely revised Third Edition of the Codex will be prepared for publication in 1977-78.